THE SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE, AND ZION'S CASKET. "For there are Three that bear record in heaven the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these Three are One."-1 John v. 7. "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.-Jude 3. "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."-1 Tim. iii. 6. APRIL, 1845. BY CORNELIUS SHARP. "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like; he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock; and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."Luke vi. 47, 48, 49. OUR LORD in the beginning of the chapter, had been reproving the pharisees' blindness about the observation of the sabbath; he then chooseth his twelve apostles, and to confirm their faith that he was the Christ of God, performed many miracles, in healing the sick, and casting out unclean spirits; he then like the handful of corn on the top of the mountain, lifts up his voice, and pours out a fountain of blessings, upon his disciApril, 1845.] ples, and the believing hearers, and saith," Blessed are ye poor," &c, and encourageth them in the path of tribulation to rejoice; he then pronounceth an awful woe, upon the rich, and the full, and they that laugh now, and those that are approved of by the world, by many striking figures; after which, in verse 43, he bringeth them all into the balances of the sanctuary, and proves them by their fruits; which our Lord knew to be the closest spot to try a professor upon; after which he appeals to the conscience and saith, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" He then brings in the words of the text, which as the dear Lord shall enable, I will endeavour to show the distinction between the wise and the foolish. In the first place we shall notice these two men sitting under the word together, in a twofold sense, namely, the one hearing and doing, and the other hearing and doing not. And secondly, I shall follow the wise man and behold him build; the place where he digs; and the foundation on which he builds; and what he builds thereon. And thirdly, notice the flood and stream, which came against the house, and that it fell not L because it was founded upon a rock. And fourthly, I shall notice the foolish man, building without a foundation. And fifthly, the stream which beat vehemently against that house, and the fall thereof. And lastly bring the two together into the valley of decision. First, we are to notice the two sitting together under the word; they both hear, like David and Ahithophel; David could not discern the deception in Ahithophel, for his counsel was so profound, and clear, that it was in those days, as if he had inquired of the oracles of God; "We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God together;" and opened our minds one towards another; thus the man of God was drawn into a snare, through the crafty deception of a profession without a possession. So these two men walk together for a time, the one like as the apostle James describes, "Looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work;" he hears the report God gives of a lost and ruined sinner, which report at first breaks his heart, and excludes him from all hopes of ever being saved: he hears the voice of God sounding from Sinai," The soul that sinneth shall die;" which report brings up all his secret sins from his youth to view, and God setteth them in order before him, in the true light in which the law expresses them, namely, to a thought; here God lays judgment to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and strips the soul of all confidence or strength in himself, and in this condition the soul is at its wits end, to know what to do; perhaps he might have been taught sufficient of the doctrines, in his natural state, that all performance in a legal way is of no use, (being brought up under the sound of the word,) therefore all hopes are cut off of ever being saved that way; still he is not ignorant of the report of a Saviour, but how to obtain him, he is utterly at a loss; here is the spot where God is teaching the soul the need of an all-sufficient Saviour, the which when the poor soul discovers, he is full of eagerness to seek after him, and perhaps would catch at every thing presented, like an hungry child, and not having the discernment to judge between the good and the evil, he mixes it both together, consequently he is at present, a suitable companion with this foolish builder, or philosophical professor, who is like unto the other character which the apostle James describes, a man beholding his natural face in a glass, who beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was;" he beholdeth his face in the glass of the law, through being awakened by the alarms of a natural conscience, which for a time may induce him to lay aside many sins, and walk very circumspect, and here these two walk along together, hand in hand, but, though " hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished," here they converse together of that which they have heard, the one finds it to be a word of pow er, either in reproving, comforting, or establishing, and like David, in Psalm cxix., he hides the word in his heart, 66 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee," and he comes to the light with every thing, "for light maketh manifest," and he wants the proof, that these encouragements are wrought of God, the testimony of man will not do for him, he wants that which the apostle Peter speaks of, a more sure word of prophecy," and this can only be obtained by the testimony of Jesus, "for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy," and this testimony can only be realized in the place where the life is lost; for ex cept a man will lose his life, for my sake he shall not find it; but whosoever loseth his life for my sake, shall find one in me, even eternal life, which no man can deprive him of, “for it is hid with Christ in God;" thus you see this man hears in earnest, and with a burden on his back puts his fingers in his ears, crying, Life, life, eternal life; as dear John Bunyan relates; while the other, full of excitement, rejoices in the preacher's light for a season, (mark my friends it is his light, he rejoiceth in) having not received the truth in the love of it, but in word only; but the other poor soul has received it "in power, and in much assurance, and in demonstration of the Holy Ghost;" which draws from him many a secret groan, and sleepless hour; the other one perceiving this, tells him, he is resting too much in frames and feeling, and not looking to Christ, for he tells him, "ye are complete in him, and Christ is all and in all;" and many more sweet and precious portions he will quote, but they are to him, like a poor half-starved man going into a banking house, and perceiving thousands of pounds in gold, but unless he has got a bank note in his hand to present, this gold will only aggravate his case, for he knows he dares not steal it, or that will be worse to him than his poverty; so the sensible sinner feels this text with power, "No man can come unto me except the Father which sent me draw him," and this drawing is experienced in no other place, but in the weakness of the creature, "when heart and flesh fails," is God's time, that it may be to his glory. Now these two are coming to a place where they must soon part, "for how can two walk together except they be agreed;" there is a disagreement in their experience, and a disagreement in their spirit; in the one the strong man armed is bound and cast out; but in the other he is gone out for a season; now the spot where they part is where three ways meet, one turns to the right hand which is an easy pro fession, and the other turns to the left hand into the world, but both these roads meet in one point, namely in hell; and there is a road right before, but at the entrance of the road stands a gate insurmountably high, called the "Strait gate; "at which there are many seeking to enter in, and a number of impotent folk lie here waiting, "waiting for the moving of the waters," or the opening of the gate; now this foolish builder's patience is wearied out in waiting; he says we may wait here and never get in at last: here is another road, I perceive round to the right, let us go that way; but the other hears a secret whisper in his soul, "when ye turn to the right hand, or to the left, ye shall hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it," that is " strive to enter in at the strait gate;" well, says the other, as Pliable did to Christian, You may steer the brave country alone; here they part; which brings us to the second part of the text. 66 Secondly, We are to behold this wise man build; the place, work and materials. We have thus far followed him to the wicket, or strait gate; now here he stands waiting for admission, he hears these words, " Knock, and it shall be opened unto you; seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall receive:" and perhaps he might be like the poor man laying at the pool of Bethesda, with patience almost exhausted, but hear what James says to such an one, Let patience have her perfect work," &c.; and by and by he beholds one clothed with majesty and power coming to him, and saying, Wilt thou be healed?" and this question draws forth all the desires of the heart, with a, Yea, Lord, but I am unworthy, I am black; look not upon me, for the sun hath looked upon me :" but to express his willingness to assist the poor soul, he says, I am come that my sheep might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly," therefore I 66 66 am come to grant you an abundant entrance into the kingdom of God, but this inscription is written over the door, "No man can come unto me, except the Father which sent me draw him;" which appears to be an insurmountable mountain, for I have sinned, and so come short of all hopes of any approbation from the Father, therefore how can I expect to be drawn by the cords of love? This, poor soul, is the meaning in part of the text. The Father has been showing you, your own insufficiency to enter in at this gate without divine assistance: therefore I am appointed of the Father," to open the prison doors to them that are bound, to preach deliverance to the captives, and to comfort all that mourn.' And though this may appear an insurmountable mountain, and there is no way to get into the path but by the door, hear what is written in prophecy concerning me (Jesus): "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain." And I say unto you, "Come unto me, and he that cometh I will in no wise cast out." Again, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth, for I am God, and beside me there is no Saviour." At the report of this the poor soul falls down helpless in himself, at the sight of the goodness and mercy of God, in not cutting him off and consigning him to eternal woe, which he acknowledges to be his just desert, and his language is, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." Here Jesus opens the blind man's eyes, and anoints them with eye salve, that he may behold the Lord as satisfying divine justice for all who come to God by him. He also discovers to him his wounded side as the only way into eternal life, and which breaks the poor sinner's heart all to pieces, until there is no life in him; his language is, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." Thou art my all, my 66 eternal all; every thing is death to me here below; oh, "set me as a seal upon thine arm." Now Christ, as the good Shepherd, who goeth before his sheep, takes this poor soul, and leads him into the everlasting love of the Father, and sets a seal upon his heart, and pronounceth him pardoned, justified and accepted, a manifest heir of heaven. Here guilt is removed, bondage is loosened, liberty is experienced, and the Spirit of adoption is granted, whereby he cries, Abba Father. He now breathes fresh air, his health springs forth as the morning, and the boldness of his countenance is changed; his occupation is different from former days, he is treading upon new soil, and he is not his own, for he is bought with a price, and he is like a merchant-man, as is described by our Lord, seeking goodly pearls. Now by and by this man wants to build, and his first aim is to find a foundation; he discovers a plot of land, which is the word of God, and here he digs deep night and day, and the tools which he uses are prayer, reading and meditation, by which he is enabled to remove many an obstacle, and by which the man of God is established, settled and grounded in the truth of the everlasting doctrines of God's Bible, which he knows but little of experimentally at his first setting out; and by this digging he perceives that God has laid in Zion, from all eternity, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, upon which the church in all ages have laid their hopes, because, it being an immoveable rock, which the gates of hell cannot prevail against. This was David's Rock, and the same as followed the children of Israel through the wilderness, and supplied them with water in the desert. This same Rock appeared to Peter, and tried his faith, who declared him to be indeed the true Messiah, the Christ of God, whose answer was, "Upon this Rock I will build my church, and the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Against this Rock came the wrath of God, but he drank it all up, saying to the church, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Now this Rock being no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and he being the glorious man that opened the gate to this wise man, he uses this language, Unto him be glory and majesty, dominion and power, for ever and ever." Now he begins to search for materials to build to the honour and glory of this foundation, which are, as the apostle Paul describes, gold, silver and precious stones, that will stand the fire; but wood, hay, stubble, will soon consume when put into the fire; fire will prove the materials. The gold here spoken of, is, real faith in the glories of Jesus Christ, and which purifieth the heart from all self-love and self-confidence, and acts by love, of which act we have a specimen in Abraham, who, in obedience to the command, went forth in faith, and laid the wood, and then bound his son Isaac upon it. Here let us pause a moment, and gaze at our spiritual Isaac going forth without the camp, bearing his cross himself, and afterwards behold him as the ram caught in the thicket by his horns, and as the prophet Habbakuk viewed him," with horns coming out of his hands, and there was the hidings of his power." Here we behold him caught by the hands with the nails, and in those deep incisions were all the names of the Israel of God engraven. This power was hid from the wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes. And bless your God, my friends, if he has made a demonstration of this love and power to your souls, which is done by "the work of faith with power." and which when realized in the heart, you will gladly attribute the glory thereof to Jesus Christ, which is called, building upon him, which this, and every wise builder, lays on the foundation. The next thing he builds here is silver, which I take to be sanctification, for as we derive this from our covenant Head, so we can but attribute it to him again. Another thing is precious stones, which are, the testimonies of Jesus in the conscience, as it is written by John, Rev. ii. 17, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth save him that receiveth it;" which is when Jesus pronounceth the soul to be complete in him; and as the apostle Paul says, "In whom, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," Now these precious stones or promises being sealed home upon the heart, the soul builds them upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, which is, "Christ in you the hope of glory.' Here God the Holy Ghost cements the building, by pouring out his unctious dews of grace, establishing the soul, and building him up in his most holy faith, by granting him access at a throne of grace, from time to time, in secret, and Christ, the spiritual Zerubbabel, bringing the top-stone to view, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Now this soul with his beloved Lord are as happy as a pair of doves, until by and by his Beloved leaves him for a time, for the trial of his faith, which we come next to notice, namely, of the flood, or stream, which came against the house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. Thirdly, We are to notice, what is to be understood by the flood, "and when the flood arose, and the stream beat vehemently against that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock;" what we are to understand by this flood, are the violent, and crafty tempations of Satan, "who goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;" but as the psalmist says, "when the enemy cometh in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord, shall lift up a standard against him ;" these floods, are of that nature, that at |